9/16/2008

Why do the keypad buttons of drive-up cash machines have Braille dots?B

The questions seems to be really stupid when you read it for the first time. Seriously, can anybody tell that he or she saw a blind man driving a car, then stopping at the drive-up cash machine and use Braille dots to read what is written there? Ok, no-one can say that. What about blind drivers? All car drivers MUST pass the eye test to prove that they are able to see where they are driving. So the conclusion is - no blind man can possibly be a driver. It's dangerous for everybody.

But still, there ARE Braille dots on the buttons of drive-up cash machines! So what's wrong?

The answer is quite easy, but it's difficult to work it out. But I did it (thanks, Google!).

A.T.M producers make at least two types of machines: drive-up and walk-up machines. Walk-up machines are surely used by the blind, so it's cheaper for the company to produce these two types of machines with the same technology than have two different technologies (with Braille dots and without them).

So, the secret of the Braille dots on the buttons in the drive-up cash machines is reveiled!